The Promise That Changes Everything

Let me ask you a question this morning. Have you ever made a promise you couldn't keep? Maybe you told your kids you'd make it to their game, but work got in the way. Maybe you promised yourself you'd finally get healthy this year—and here we are. We've all been there.

Now flip it around. Has anyone ever made you a promise they didn't keep? A friend who said they'd be there and wasn't. A spouse who said things would change but they didn't. A boss who promised that promotion.

Here's the thing about promises—they're only as good as the person making them.

And that's exactly where Paul takes us in Romans chapter four. Because here's the question that was burning in the minds of Paul's original readers: How can anyone be sure they're actually right with God? The Jewish believers were convinced the answer was tied to keeping the Law and their birthright—obey enough, perform enough, measure up enough, and God will accept you.

But Paul says no. That's not how it works. That's not how it ever worked. Not even for Abraham.

And what Paul shows us in these five verses is one of the most freeing truths in all of Scripture. It's the truth that changes everything about how we approach God. Here it is. Write this down if you take notes:

Main Preaching Idea: God's promise to you doesn't depend on your performance—it depends on His grace, received by faith.

That's it. God's promise to you doesn't depend on your performance. It depends on His grace, and you receive it by faith.

Now, that sounds simple. But living it? That's where it gets hard. Because everything in our culture—and honestly, everything in our hearts—screams the opposite.

Let me read our text, and then we'll unpack it together. Romans 4:13-17

Romans 4:13–17 NKJV

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Understanding the Text

Now, let me set the stage. Paul has been building an argument since chapter three. He's already established that no one—Jew or Gentile—can be declared righteous before God based on what they do. All have sinned. All fall short. The law was never designed to save anyone. It was designed to show us that we need saving.

Then Paul brings up Abraham. Why Abraham? Because Abraham was the ultimate trump card for Jewish people. He was the father of the nation. The original chosen one. If anyone had standing before God, it was Abraham, right?

And Paul says, "Let's talk about that." In verses 1-12, Paul has already shown that Abraham was declared righteous before he was circumcised—fourteen years before, to be exact. So circumcision didn't earn Abraham anything. It was simply a sign of what had already happened by faith.

Now, in verses 13-17, Paul goes a step further. Not only was Abraham justified before circumcision, but he was also justified before the Law was ever given. The Law didn't come until Moses—430 years after Abraham. So if Abraham was made right with God apart from the Law, then the Law was never the path to righteousness in the first place.

This was explosive. This turned the entire Jewish religious system on its head.

Point One: Stop Trying to Earn What You've Already Been Given

Look at verse 13 again:

Romans 4:13 NKJV

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Paul is crystal clear. The promise to Abraham didn't come through law. It came through faith. Abraham didn't earn his standing with God. He received it.

That word Promise is important. This isn't just a casual statement of intent. It's a formal declaration, a binding commitment. When God makes a promise, He's putting His reputation on the line. Unlike human promises that fail, God's promise is backed by His character and power.

We also see an unusual statement here. “The heir of the world.”

And here's what you need to understand: the phrase "heir of the world" is bigger than anything Abraham could have imagined. Nowhere in Genesis does God explicitly say, "Abraham, I'm giving you the whole world." God promised him the land of Canaan. He promised him descendants as numerous as the stars. He promised that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him.

But Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, expands the scope of the promise. Through Abraham's ultimate Seed—the Messiah, Jesus Christ—the blessing extends to the entire world. Every believer from every nation becomes an heir of Abraham's promise. The inheritance isn't just land. It's a kingdom.

The word heir means one who receives an inheritance. Abraham wasn't told he would earn the world—he was told he would inherit it. An inheritance isn't something you work for. It's something you receive because of your relationship to the one who gives it.

But here's where we get it wrong. We hear this and think, "Okay, great—God gave me a gift. Now I need to earn my keep." We take the gospel of grace and turn it back into a performance system.

We think: If I pray enough, read my Bible enough, serve enough, give enough, avoid enough sins—then God will really love me. Then I'll really belong. Then I'll have security.

But listen to me. You cannot earn what you've already been given.

The whole point of an inheritance is that you don't work for it. You receive it because of your relationship to the Giver.

Now, does that mean obedience doesn't matter? Of course not. But obedience flows from relationship, not the other way around. You don't obey to be accepted. You obey because you already are.

Think about it this way. When our kids were young, did they obey us to earn their place in the family? No. They were already in the family. Their obedience was a response to belonging—not a path to it.

And here's what we need you to understand: When you try to add your performance to God's grace, you don't enhance the gospel. You gut it. Paul said if salvation is by Law, then faith is made void. That word means "emptied." You drain faith of all its meaning if you try to work for it or keep it.

So here's what you can do this week, ask yourself—Where am I trying to earn God's approval instead of resting in it? Where am I performing for acceptance instead of living from acceptance?

Stop trying to earn what you've already been given.

Point Two: Embrace Grace Because the Law Cannot Save You

Look at verses 14-15:

Romans 4:14–15 NKJV

14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

This is one of the most misunderstood sections in Romans. Paul isn't saying the Law is bad. The Law is holy. The Law reveals God's character. The Law shows us what righteousness looks like. But here's the problem: the Law also shows us how far short we fall.

Paul says the Law brings about wrath. Why? Because the Law exposes sin. It turns vague moral failure into specific, identifiable transgression.

Think of it like a speed limit sign. Before you see the sign, you might be driving 55 in a 35 zone. Are you speeding? Technically, yes. But the moment you pass that sign, your speeding becomes a knowing violation. The sign didn't make you speed—it just made your speeding an official offense.

That's what the Law does. It takes the sin that's already in our hearts and puts a spotlight on it. It identifies it. It condemns it.

And here's the problem: if the promise depends on keeping the Law, then no one could ever receive it. The first time Abraham sinned—or Isaac, or Jacob, or you—God's wrath would be required, and the promise would be nullified.

But God didn't base His promise on Law. He based it on grace.

Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on this passage, puts it this way: "The Law was not given to save men, but to show men that they need to be saved." The Law is like an MRI. It reveals what's wrong inside you. But an MRI never healed anyone. Diagnosis is not treatment.

So why do we keep trying to use the Law as a ladder to God? Because it feels more controllable. It feels more measurable. If I just do enough good things, then I'll know I'm okay.

But the Law was never designed to make you okay. It was designed to drive you to the One who can.

This is why grace isn't optional. Grace is the only path. Not grace plus effort. Not grace plus moral improvement. Grace alone.

John Stott explains it beautifully: "Law-language—'you shall'—demands obedience. But promise-language—'I will'—demands faith. What God said to Abraham was not, 'Obey this law and I will bless you.' It was, 'I will bless you; believe my promise.'"

This week, identify one area where you've been trying to clean yourself up before coming to God. Confess it. And come to Him as you are—not because you've earned the right, but because He's extended the invitation.

Embrace grace because the Law cannot save you.

Point Three: Trust the God Who Calls Things into Existence

Now look at verses 16-17:

Romans 4:16–17 NKJV

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

This is the crescendo of the passage. Paul says the promise comes by faith so that it may be according to grace—and so that it may be guaranteed.

Did you catch that? Guaranteed. The Greek word behind "sure"means firm, reliable, certain. If the promise depended on our performance, it could never be certain. We'd always be wondering, "Did I do enough? Am I good enough? Will God keep His end if I don't keep mine?"

But because the promise is based on grace, received by faith, it is absolutely secure.

And notice who this promise is for. Not just for those who are "of the law"—ethnic Jews who had the Scriptures. But also for those who are "of the faith of Abraham"—Gentiles who believe. Abraham is the father of all who trust God, regardless of their background.

This was radical. In a first-century Jewish context, the idea that a Gentile could share in Abraham's inheritance—without becoming Jewish, without circumcision, without Law-keeping—was scandalous.

But Paul grounds it in Scripture. He quotes Genesis 17:5: "I have made you a father of many nations." That promise was always bigger than Israel. It was always intended to include the world.

And then Paul describes the God in whom Abraham believed. This is where it gets personal.

Abraham believed in God who "gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did."

Think about Abraham's situation. He's nearly a hundred years old. Sarah is ninety. Their bodies, Paul will say in the next verse, are "as good as dead" reproductively. And yet God says, "You're going to be a father of many nations."

This is the same God who spoke the universe into existence out of nothing. The same God who said, "Let there be light," and light appeared. The same God who would one day call Lazarus out of the grave.

And this is the God who speaks over your life.

What is dead in your life that only God can bring back? What situation looks impossible? What relationship seems beyond repair? What hope have you given up on?

Abraham had to believe that the God who created the cosmos could create life in his old, barren body. And he did believe. Against all odds, he trusted the promise.

Here's what I want you to see: Your faith isn't powerful because of you. Your faith is powerful because of the object of your faith. You're not trusting in your ability to believe hard enough. You're trusting in the God who calls things into existence.

Whatever you're facing right now—God is not limited by your circumstances. He's not limited by your past. He's not limited by your failure. He speaks life into dead things.

Here's your action step: Identify one area in your life where you've stopped believing God could do anything. And this week, ask Him to help you trust again. Not because you're strong. But because He is.

Trust the God who calls things into existence.

Conclusion

Let me bring this home.

Here's what we've seen in these five verses: God's promise to you doesn't depend on your performance. It depends on His grace, received by faith.

You don't have to earn your way in. The Law can't get you there anyway. And the God who made the promise is the same God who spoke the universe into existence and raises the dead.

So stop trying to earn what you've already been given. Embrace grace because the Law cannot save you. And trust the God who calls things into existence.

Maybe you're here this morning, and you've never actually placed your faith in Christ. You've been trying to be good enough. You've been hoping your good outweighs your bad. Can I tell you something? That's not the gospel. The gospel says you can't be good enough, and Jesus was good on your behalf. He died for your sin and rose again. And all you have to do is believe.

That's it. Believe the promise.

Maybe you're already a believer, but somewhere along the way, you drifted back into performance mode. You've been striving. You've been anxious. You've been trying to earn what was always free.

Come home to grace.

And maybe you're facing a situation right now that feels absolutely impossible. Your marriage. Your health. Your finances. Your future.

Remember who your God is. He gives life to the dead. He calls things that don't exist as though they did.

Will you trust Him?

Let's pray.